With Veterans Day approaching this weekend, I wanted to take the opportunity to thank all members of our Mizzou community who are serving or have served in the U.S. Armed Forces. Although we can never repay the courageous citizens who pledge their lives to upholding America’s values, we can express our gratitude and recognize those who continue to serve with a deep commitment to excellence.

When I arrived on campus last August, one of the first places I was able to visit was Crowder Hall, home of Mizzou’s ROTC program. After that tour, I was impressed with the hard work, determination and leadership of our ROTC cadets. A recent example is the MU Naval ROTC Battalion Midshipmen who took top honors in a national competition. What a great example of #MizzouMade dedication! And just this morning, I announced that we will be starting a new Mizzou ROTC Scholarship next fall that will provide full room and board for incoming ROTC freshmen who are military scholarship recipients and who live on campus.

University of Missouri Naval ROTC Battalion members placed first at the 2017 Wisconsin Naval ROTC Fall Invitational. The university’s Naval ROTC unit was established in 1946. Since that time, more than 1,400 Midshipmen have received commissions at Mizzou.

I also want to take this opportunity to recognize Professor Angela Drake, one of our exceptional faculty members in MU’s School of Law. Professor Drake directs the Veterans Clinic and has just been named by the Association of American Law Schools as recipient of the Deborah L. Rhode award in recognition of her impressive work with veterans. The award recognizes an “outstanding contribution to increasing pro bono and public service in the law school setting through scholarship, leadership, or service.” Congratulations to Professor Drake. Her work is a great example of the talent and dedication I see displayed by so many of our community members.